Pressures of Life
by Lady Illiya
Summary: Where do you go when you want to get away from the pressures of life?


Where do you go when you want to get away from the pressures of life?

If you asked this of Arya two days ago she would know the answer immediately, not that she would tell you it of course.

She would escape to the forge, slip in silently dressed in Brans' old trousers, embrace the heat and the sound of the singing metal. He always stilled upon her entrance, but never stopped his song. She would just hop on counter off to the side, where she knew he could see her out of the corner of his eye. He would just keep pounding away, she would relax, let everything slide off her, and sometimes they would talk.

It was her one refuge when Sansa would start in on her about how she had to uphold her duty and become a_ lady_ and marry some old fat lord and be expected to have his bloody children. Did Sansa not realize that was not her? After all they've been though, after the war and after everything she'd _done_? How could she be expected to be anything other than who she was?

And now she couldn't even go to the forge to relax because of that stupid _bull_! He just had to ruin everything!

She was finallystarting to get her head straight; finally starting to think she might be able to hang onto this life, _her life_, no one else's this time. That the stability she's found might last, and then he goes and throws her off balance again.

Why did he have to go and kiss her! She was just happy he was alive, happy to have his companionship again after all these years. She thought she understood them.

And now Sansa was once again talking about shipping her off to some God forsaken place and she couldn't even go to the forge to calm down because _he_ was there and _he_ would make her anything but calm right now.

What was so wrong with things being simple, why did _he _have to go and make things complicated for her. She liked it how it was, thank you very much, she liked him just being Gendry and her just being Arya and them just being _them_. But that was ruined, because they couldn't go back to what they were now; now that he kissed her and made her all confused. It also certainly didn't help that all her dreams the last two nights were repeats of _it _with different endings. Ones where she didn't go all bug eyed, call him stupid, and then just run out.

So what if she's found that she really didn't mind that kiss, and that she might just want a repeat. It would still mess them up, what if it didn't work, what if he got bored with her and went off with that cooks daughter who brought him lunch and giggled and batted her stupid eyelashes at him. And she knew she wouldn't be able to handle that, not when her pack was finally back together.

She also did not like the idea of not being able to go to the forge when she needed to relax, like she did now. She needed her sanity, thank you very much, just as much as she needed him.

Her feet had brought her to the forge without her command, and he for once put down his hammer and turned toward her when she entered.

He had a guarded look on his face, as if he was wary of her, which she realized as she puffed angrily, that he had every reason to be after her craven escape the other day.

"That was stupid of you. The other day." She said, walking further into the forge and crossing her arms.

"Arya—" He started.

"No." She interrupted. "It was stupid and you know it. You had to go and ruin everything! I was happy! I didn't have these stupid dreams and I wouldn't have cared if you ended up with that stupid girl, and I certainly wouldn't want you to do it again!" She stomped her foot for emphasis.

"Wait, what?" He had that look on his face, that scrunched up one like he was trying to think too hard, "What girl?"

"The cooks' daughter, stupid, the one with the big tits! And you're completely missing the point!"

His brows furrowed, "Wha-?" he began before she growled and stomped up to him, stopping only when she was inches away.

"I. Want. You. To. Do. It. Again." She said through clenched teeth.

His eyebrows shot up, and his head leaned back, surprise evident on his face, "Do what?"

"Ugh! Stupid!" Arya exclaimed, stopping herself from shoving him in the chest like normal. How could she not speak clearer? She would just have to show him herself. She reached up, grabbed his neck and pulled his towering form down to her level, and pressed her lips to his.

He stilled for only a second before wrapping her arms around her and lifting her up and snug against him. She could practically feel his smile spreading on his face when she pulled away.

"See? Was that too hard to understand? Or will I need to spell it out to you the next time too?"

"No," he said with a smile, "I should be able to figure it out from now on."

"Good. Because you're going to kiss me whenever I like."

He smirked at her before replying; "As _m'lady_ commands."

* * *

Hi. My name's Lady Illiya and I'm a Review Whore.


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